This invention relates to safety belt positioning apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for automatically positioning a safety belt about a vehicle occupant.
There have been known in the prior art passive safety belt devices which position a safety belt around a passenger upon his entering the vehicle. Some prior art devices make use of mechanisms attached to the vehicle door for applying one end of the safety belt to the passenger when the door is closed. In accordance with other prior art devices the safety belt is not attached to the door, but is attached to a carriage which moves in a track along the vehicle frame above the vehicle door. In such prior art devices the carriage is moved along the track by an activating device, such as an electric motor or gas pressure operated cylinder. When the vehicle engine is shut off, or the vehicle door is opened, the carriage is returned to the end of the track nearest the front of the vehicle lifting the safety belt off the passenger. When the device is activated, for example, by closing the door and starting the vehicle engine, the carriage is moved along the track toward the back of the vehicle and locks in a passenger restraining position adjacent the vehicle column. In the locked position the carriage is arranged to transmit forces on the safety belt to the vehicle column.
In accordance with such prior art devices the height of the locked position of the carriage on the column of the vehicle is not adjustable. Accordingly the shoulder safety belt will form an angle with the horizontal in accordance with the shoulder height of the passenger. When an exceptionally tall or short person is seated in the vehicle the locking position will be either too low or too high and will cause an improper and uncomfortable fit of the safety belt around the passenger.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a safety belt positioning apparatus wherein the belt carrying carriage may be locked at different heights on the vehicle column.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which the height of the locked safety belt carriage is adjusted in accordance with the height of the vehicle passenger.